Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Rating Increased to Hold at Mizuho

Key Points

• Mizuho upgraded Whirlpool to a "hold", but the broader analyst consensus is cautious—two buys, seven holds and three sells translate to an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $76.13 after several recent price-target cuts.
• Whirlpool missed quarterly expectations, reporting $1.10 EPS vs. $1.54 expected and revenue down 1% year-over-year, while the company set FY2026 guidance at 7.00 EPS (analysts forecast ~5.43 EPS for the current fiscal year).
• The stock opened around $57.22, trading below its 50‑day ($63.66) and 200‑day ($72.01) moving averages, with a market cap of $3.23 billion, high leverage (debt/equity ~2.06) and heavy institutional ownership (~90.8%).

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Mizuho to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the company. Raymond James Financial restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Whirlpool in a report on Monday, March 16th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Whirlpool to a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Whirlpool from $75.00 to $68.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Bank of America cut their price objective on Whirlpool from $60.00 to $50.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Whirlpool from $76.00 to $59.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $76.13.

Whirlpool Price Performance

WHR opened at $57.22 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $63.66 and a 200-day moving average of $72.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.13, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.30. Whirlpool has a 12-month low of $50.41 and a 12-month high of $111.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The company reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by ($0.44). The business had revenue of $4.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.27 billion. Whirlpool had a net margin of 2.04% and a return on equity of 12.98%. Whirlpool's revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.57 EPS. Whirlpool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.000-7.000 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Whirlpool will post 5.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Whirlpool

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,429,230 shares of the company's stock worth $175,245,000 after acquiring an additional 80,122 shares in the last quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC increased its position in Whirlpool by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC now owns 2,391,252 shares of the company's stock worth $172,505,000 after buying an additional 221,564 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Whirlpool by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,279,044 shares of the company's stock worth $92,472,000 after buying an additional 29,162 shares during the last quarter. Causeway Capital Management LLC increased its position in Whirlpool by 42.3% during the third quarter. Causeway Capital Management LLC now owns 617,039 shares of the company's stock worth $48,499,000 after buying an additional 183,496 shares during the last quarter. Finally, RWWM Inc. increased its position in Whirlpool by 68.4% during the third quarter. RWWM Inc. now owns 555,380 shares of the company's stock worth $43,653,000 after buying an additional 225,513 shares during the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Whirlpool

Whirlpool Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of home appliances, with a product portfolio that spans major categories such as laundry, refrigeration, cooking, dishwashing and small electrics. Headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the company designs, produces and distributes its appliances through a network of wholly owned manufacturing facilities, joint ventures and third-party partners. Whirlpool serves both retail and professional markets, offering products under its flagship Whirlpool brand as well as several well-known names including Maytag, KitchenAid, JennAir, Amana, Brastemp and Consul.

In its laundry segment, Whirlpool provides top- and front-load washing machines, dryers and combination units designed to balance energy efficiency, capacity and convenience.

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